A spectator is taken to an ambulance after a lightning strike on the course which left several injured during a weather delay in the third round of the Tour Championship golf tournament Saturday, Aug. 24, 2019, in Atlanta. John Amis, AP

Fans walk past lightning damage to a tree during a suspension in play due to inclement weather during the third round of the TOUR Championship at East Lake Golf Club on Aug. 24, 2019 in Atlanta, G. Kevin C. Cox, Getty Images

An ambulance passes the clubhouse at East Lake Golf Club after several fans were struck by lightning during third-round play in the Tour Championship golf tournament Saturday, Aug. 24, 2019, in Atlanta. John Bazemore, AP

A person is treated by emergency medical personnel after lightning struck a pine tree during a weather delay during the third round of the Tour Championship golf tournament at the East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Ga on Aug. 24, 2019. Several people were treated in the incident. The tournament, which runs through 25 August, is the finale of the FedExCup playoffs. Erik S. Lesser, EPA-EFE

An ambulance arrives to provide medical assistance after a lightning strike during a suspension of the third round due to inclement weather of the TOUR Championship at East Lake Golf Club on Aug. 24, 2019 in Atlanta, Ga. Streeter Lecka, Getty Images

A spectator is taken to an ambulance after a lightning strike on the course which left several injured during a weather delay in the third round of the Tour Championship golf tournament Saturday, Aug. 24, 2019, in Atlanta. John Amis, AP

Emergency services provide assistance after a lightning strike during a suspension of the third round due to inclement weather of the TOUR Championship at East Lake Golf Club on Aug. 24, 2019 in Atlanta. Kevin C. Cox, Getty Images

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ATLANTA — Six fans were injured on Saturday when lightning struck the grounds at East Lake Golf Club during the Tour Championship.

The PGA Tour released a statement saying emergency medical technicians treated six fans who were injured by debris from a lightning strike that hit a tree. The fans were transported immediately for further medical assistance. The Tour said the injuries did not appear to be life-threatening.

Third-round play has been suspended and will resume Sunday at 8 a.m. ET.

Ambulances drove past the clubhouse on Saturday afternoon, heading toward an area where two lightning strikes shook the grounds at about 4:45 p.m. ET.

Mark Russell, the PGA Tour’s vice president of rules and competitions, said one strike hit a maintenance area and another hit a tree near the 16th hole.

Play had been suspended for about 30 minutes at that point, but fans were still littered around the property. Russell was asked if there’s a protocol in place for evacuating a golf course when play is suspended due to weather.

"Well, we suspend play, and we put on the scoreboards that weather is approaching and we want the people to take shelter and leave, but a lot of times they don’t," Russell said.

Russell was also asked why tee times weren’t moved to earlier in the morning given the strong possibility of afternoon thunderstorms.

"We have a meteorologist on staff," Russell said. "We can monitor that. And a lot of times we get lucky and we don’t get hit with thunderstorms, especially when it’s a situation when they’re pop-ups like that.

"Now, that’s what we were faced with. So, you know, we’re going to see if we can deal with that. We can suspend play and get people out of here if that does happen, but a lot of times we’re on the positive side hoping that we can play golf and get lucky and not be in the path of those thunderstorms."

A tree shows lightning damage after a strike at East Lake Golf Club during the Tour Championship.(Photo: Kevin C. Cox, Getty Images)

The lightning strike that hit a tree near the 16th hole was so loud that multiple players surveying the grounds from a clubhouse balcony visibly shook when it made a huge cracking sound.

"It’s frustrating that they didn’t move tee times up," Gary Woodland said. "You saw the weather, you saw it was 80% (chance) at 4 o’clock. I’m sure with 30 players they thought they could get it in. But obviously now wish they would have moved them up. Now you just hope people are OK."

Matt Kuchar said it’s obvious in hindsight that tee times should have been moved earlier, but that it’s not always easy to make that call in real time.

"We trust the Tour to do the right thing," Kuchar said. "This is an easy one to (armchair) quarterback and we should of and could of (moved tee times up), but we didn’t. We’ll figure it out tomorrow and hopefully the weather will let us get around."

Daniel Anderson of Marietta, Ga., was up by the 16th green when he heard what he called a sonic boom.

"And then it looked like a tree was on fire," he said. "I shook. The whole ground shook. I just started to look for a place to go. Never seen anything like it."

Only two groups had completed the third round prior to the weather delay.